2022 40 Under 40: Courtney Parsel

When something is hard, Courtney Parsel doesn’t run from it. She embraces the challenge.

She learned life can be difficult after her mother died when Parsel was 15 years old. She funneled that struggle into volunteer work at the Lost & Found Grief Center, where she currently serves on the junior board.

In Parsel’s career at State Bank of Southwest Missouri, she has the drive to take on challenges as a young female leader and as director of client relationships.

Parsel, 32, is among the alumni of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado that serves on the school’s Signals Group. She researches disruptive technology, such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and presents to the school’s board of directors and State Bank’s management.

Best productivity hack? Journaling helps clarify my goals and monitor my progress, puts past failures and successes in perspective, and helps me be a more mindful person.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. … There is no reason not to follow your heart.” -Steve Jobs